VZCZCXRO7000
OO RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHML #2292 3070949
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 030949Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY MANILA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5623
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS IMMEDIATE
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI IMMEDIATE 0178
RHHMUNA/CDRUSPACOM HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS MANILA 002292 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR L/LEI (J LANDSIDLE) AND PM/PPA (D FORAN) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KJUS SO RP
SUBJECT: PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT POSITIVE ON POSSIBLE 
PROSECUTION OF PIRATES 
 
REF: STATE 102982 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  Post delivered Reftel demarche on possible 
Philippine government prosecution of pirates and received a 
very positive response from the Philippine Secretary of 
Justice.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) On October 28, Embassy Manila Legal Attache and 
Political/External Chief met with Secretary of Justice Agnes 
Devanadera to deliver Reftel demarche on prosecution of 
pirates.  EMBOFFs noted that, were prosecutions to go 
forward, the Philippines would decide which cases to accept 
and that there was a reasonable likelihood that donor funds 
would be available to help offset the costs of the effort. 
Devanadera was fully supportive and enthusiastic about the 
idea and said that she planned to create a task force to 
handle the issue. 
 
¶3. (U) Post will continue to liaise with L/LEI and other 
offices to determine next steps. 
 
¶4. (SBU) COMMENT:  The fact that so many Philippine seamen 
have been held hostage by pirates is the key factor 
motivating the Justice Secretary's positive response.  We do 
caution that this was the first approach to the government, 
and that the Department of Foreign Affairs and other agencies 
have yet to express their views.  Nevertheless, this initial 
reply by Secretary Devanadera was highly positive overall. 
KENNEY